Aviantei
by Aviantei
Summary: Lon Ivy didn't know what she was getting into that night when Hao pulled her from the flames. But in all honesty, neither did he... HaoXOC Based off Manga. My version of events.
1. Of the Flames

**Note: Second fanfic, my version of SK when my OC gets tossed into the mix.**

**Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me. I only own my OC.**

**Advertising: I have a D. Gray-man fanfic ("Exception") for those that are interested. **

**Request: Please review!**

_This is the story of the battle to become Shaman King. This is a story that will change things. This is the story of the one the elements call "Aviantei." And with this, that story begins…_

**Part 1: Of the Flames**

As the fires burned around him, Hao vaguely wondered what he was doing. He had no reason to be here, this fire was not his concern. He moved a shock of raven black hair away from his auburn eyes and continued to scan his surroundings.

The flames were making it hard to decipher one form hidden in the flames from the next. When he saw a figure that held its shape, he headed towards it. Reaching it, he stopped. This hadn't been what he was expecting.

Lying at Hao's feet was a young girl.

Hao Asakura was young, but not inexperienced. He was a shaman, able to control the spirits of the dead. He was very skilled at his profession, too. Who could tell what life he was on?

At the moment, he was what most would call the tender age of six. Hao found that description humorous.

Then again, most people didn't have nearly a thousand years of life behind them at the age of six.

Hao knelt down beside the girl. She had to be close to his age. He slowly reached out and shook her. Her eyes fluttered open and Hao was met with a deep brown gaze.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Hello," she replied, her words Chinese.

Hao winced. Of course she would speak Chinese, this _was_ China. In his defense, he hadn't been expecting to have to speak with anyone; he was headed towards England anyway. _Stupid!_

"Who are you?" he slowly asked, making sure every word was right. His memory of the language was shaky.

"If you want me to speak Japanese, I will," the girl replied, as if she could sense his discomfort.

"That would be appreciated, but-" Hao began to object.

"No worries. I'm readily fluent in both languages." Hao was impressed. She had transcended the barrier with ease.

He decided to dismiss his initial question and move on to a different topic. "I could quell the flames if you want," he offered.

"So could I," she informed," but I want it to burn. It's not like the flames will cause me any harm."

The comment made Hao smile. "So you're a shaman, I presume."

"Yes."

"And an onmyoji at that," he continued, using the word used to describe a shaman who dealt with the spirits of nature.

"Yes. By the look on your face and the fact that you went through the flames without being harmed, I assume you are as well," she reasoned.

"That I am."

She smiled. "What are the chances? Two shamans of the same specialty meeting in a place like this?" She paused to take a look at him. "What _is _someone your age doing in the wastelands of China? Don't you have parents? Aren't they worried?"

Hao realized that this girl was very curious. This was admirable, seeing that her thirst for knowledge would probably never end, but in the long run it was most likely to cause problems. But there was something about this girl that made lying to her seem pointless. She appeared as if she could see right through him.

"Of course I have parents," he finally answered. "They just don't particularly like me." That was the truth. Knowing what he was, his parents had attempted to kill him at birth. If it hadn't been for his spirit ally, he never would have survived.

"Oh," she commented, her eyes showing a particular feeling of sadness. Hao took a deeper look behind those eyes. Despite her sadness, there was a strong fire burning within them.

_I must have this girl, _he mused.

"I guess that makes us both orphans, then."

_Did she just say…?_

"You don't mean…"

"Yes. This fire ended my parents' lives."

"But… If you're an onmyoji, then surely your parents were, too. It's only logical," Hao objected.

"Come now. What's the only way an onmyoji can be harmed by fire?"

Hao knew what it was. For an onmyoji to be harmed by the elements, another onmyoji was required to turn the elements against them.

"Who did it? And why didn't they kill you? What's the point of leaving the child to suffer?" Hao couldn't help but wonder what was making him say these things. Throughout his lives, he had caused his fair share of suffering. _Of course there's always… _He shook his head free of the memories of his original life. There was no time to think of that now. There wasn't any point to it either.

"I know who did it," the girl stated. "The attack was unexpected, so I wasn't able to react quickly enough to kill him. And he left me alive so I _would _suffer." Her eyes had hardened. "Of course, I _will _kill him," she stated.

Hao couldn't help but be surprised at her level of determination. After all, she was only six. Then again, so was he at this point…

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Hao hadn't been expecting that.

"I said I'm sorry. I've been prattling my entire life to you, and you don't even know my name. I'm Lon Ivy. Nice to meet you." She gave a quick bow.

"My name is Hao Asakura, at your service," he replied. Hao thought about what he wanted to say next. He couldn't see any reason why not to.

"Would you like to go on a journey with me…Aviantei?"


	2. Decision

**Note: New chapter! Thank you insaneoneX and Kiri Ketchup for the nice reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Hiroyuki Takei**

**Advertising: New chapter of "Exception" is up.**

**Request: Read, enjoy, and review!**

**Part 2: Decision**

"Would you like to go on a journey with me… Aviantei?"

It wasn't the question that threw off Ivy's train of thought, but the use of her elemental name. She hadn't been called that in so long. Even though she didn't like to admit it, if she wasn't so shocked, she might have started to cry.

There were plenty of things she wanted to know at the moment, but only one of them formed into words and left her lips.

"How did you know that?" she asked.

The boy who had given his name as Hao stared at her with a gaze no six-year-old boy should be able to use. Part of Ivy sensed something different about him, something…overwhelming, almost. A knowledge, a power that he shouldn't of possessed.

And yet, through whatever twist of fate this boy had encountered, he did.

"The elemental language," he simply stated.

Ivy blinked. That hadn't been the answer she had been expecting.

A voice in the back of her head told her that she should have.

"The elemental language is how the elements themselves speak. For an onmyoji, it is the purest way to communicate with their elemental medium."

Ivy remained silent. This lecture was all-too familiar.

"It is a difficult language for even the most-experienced onmyoji to comprehend." Did all teachers memorize their lessons from the same scroll? "It becomes even harder to keep a grip on when the words come from the elements themselves."

Which was why, after all, it all seemed impossible.

By all rights, it _should _be impossible. You couldn't just translate someone's elemental name. You had to listen to the elements calling out. Then you had to work past the emotion of what they were saying and hear the words.

Through this process, it was a difficult task to accomplish. To find someone else's name was even more so. Not only did you have to go through the process of listening to the elements, you had to be able to ignore the elements calling to you, as well as be able to locate and listen to the ones calling to _them. _Being able to do this required many years of training.

The logical part of Ivy's brain kept insisting that it was impossible.

The shamanic part responded by telling her to get a grip.

It was still unsettling, though, to be called by that name after so many years.

_It was the only thing he ever beat me at, _Ivy mused. _Well, that and-_

That train of thought was quickly disabled. This wasn't about that. This was about this boy whom had suddenly presented himself to her.

"I understand the language, but I couldn't tell you your elemental name," Ivy admitted.

"I wouldn't ask you to do such a thing seeing as to how the effort would be a waste of energy. I am already aware of my elemental name," Hao informed.

Ivy felt the sudden urge to tell him that she already knew her elemental name as well, but didn't. If she did, he might then ask how, and Ivy wasn't exactly enthusiastic to the idea of thinking about it.

Besides, if it was such an effort of energy like he insisted, why had he extended himself to find such information for her, a total stranger? And the other question, how had he done it so quickly?

She shook her head. She was probably thinking too much.

"No offense intended, but I wouldn't expect you to be able to find it anyway. It's a difficult technique for even masters of the language to perform," Hao honestly replied.

_So why the hell can you do it?_

"But we were on a different topic, weren't we?" he asked.

Ivy found herself slightly miffed at how easily he shook the conversation off, but she was glad nonetheless. The sudden change made it easier to keep the conversation from going into an unwanted territory.

Hao stood up.

"I wanted to know if you wished to come with me," he presented, extending his hand.

Ivy stared up at him. With most of the flames now merely ashes, she was able to see exactly how deep his amber-colored eyes were. They intrigued her. In fact, everything about this boy intrigued her.

He knew things that he shouldn't be able to know. He could do things he shouldn't have been able to do. The possibilities of what she could learn were endless.

The way he said her name pulled her in, too. He was the first person in a long time to say it with that amount of caring in it. Even if she was misreading everything, she felt safe with the fact that this boy wasn't the only one able to wield unusual powers.

Besides, who would pass up an opportunity like this? Ivy may have been young, but she still understood a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when she saw it.

Even the ashes produced from the flames she had let burn were a motivator. With her home gone, she couldn't possibly stay. Where else was fate letting her go?

"Will you come with me?" Hao asked again.

It was simple, really.

"Aviantei?"

All she had to do was give her answer.

Lon Ivy placed her hand in Hao Asakura's.

"Yes," she told him.

_And so the adventure began…_


	3. Qualification

**Note: Okay, this is a flash forward from the past two chapters. Yes, I will get back to the past overtime, just go with it! Thanks to insaneoneX, kitsunkuruoshii, and shinolover for their reviews.**

**Disclaimer: Hiroyuki Takei. **

**Apology: Sorry this took so long. The next one will probably take even longer. March is the month from Hell I swear... **

**Request: Please review**

**Part 3: Qualification**

The years had passed since then and Lon Ivy was now thirteen. Instead of living in a corner of China, she had been traveling with Hao. Others had come to join their group as well. Ivy acted kindly toward them, but none of them had held her interest.

It was interesting that seven years had passed since she had first met him, and Hao Asakura was still the first thing on her mind whenever she decided to think. Even after the thousands of questions he must have answered in all those years, more still existed.

"Why are you so powerful?" she had once asked as the two traveled alongside a river. Any time when they were traveling Ivy had clamored for the answers to her never-ending questions.

"I have reincarnated myself multiple times," Hao answered, providing only the bare minimum that the question required.

"But why not let your soul rest?"

"I must win the Shaman Fight."

As simple as the answers were, they always caused more questions. Even though she had agreed to not to inquire during their occasional breaks, as soon as they were in motion again, so was Ivy, trying to gain as much information as she could each day. It was an endless cycle.

Bringing her mind back to her situation at hand, Ivy sighed. The past seemed so much easier, didn't it?

The Shaman Fight was the reason that the other members of the group had joined. Most of the journey had been set up for Hao to gain as many of these people as he could.

Hao called them his followers.

Ivy kept her opinions of them to herself.

The travels had pulled Ivy all around the world. The group that Hao had assembled was now presently in Tokyo, Japan, the location of the very Shaman Fight itself.

When it came down to tournament-type fights such as these, a qualifier was normally needed. This brought Ivy to the person standing in front of her.

"Are you Lon Ivy?" the man asked. Ivy noted his appearance. His skin was of a slightly darker shade than hers and was wearing clothes normally associated with Native Americans. From all that Hao had told her about the fight, Ivy knew that this man was one of the Patch.

"The Patch," Hao had explained, "are a Native American Tribe. Hey have been the officiators of the Shaman Fight ever since it begun. If you want to put it simply, they are referees." Hao had also informed her of what to do when she encountered a member of the tribe.

"You're a member of the Patch. I'm assuming that you're here for my Shaman Fight pre-test." Ivy spoke calmly. The process was a fairly simple one.

"Yes," the officiator replied.

"So all I have to do is score a hit with my Over Soul," Ivy continued.

"Correct." If the man was impressed by Ivy's knowledge, he didn't show any signs to the fact. Not that it mattered to Ivy. She didn't need to impress people. Not yet, anyways. Right now she needed to win.

An Over Soul was what occurred when a spirit was integrated into an object instead of a human. When a shaman utilized their mana, the ghost they chose was allowed to interact with the physical world.

Ivy had already had a grasp on this skill when Hao had gone to teach her. After all, onmyoji worked with the spirits of nature in the first place. Making them become part of their original medium was simple.

Ivy went to reach for a small packet that she had attached to her belt. Within the packet were samples of the elements that she enjoyed working with. These samples had been collected during her travels.

Ivy winced when her hand touched fabric instead of the leather packet.

"It seems that this will be a little bit more challenging than I first expected," she mused. A leaf fell from a nearby tree. Ivy caught it. "Not that it really matters. This will do. Right, Mya?"

A female spirit appeared behind Ivy. She was clad in a black kimono. Multiple talismans hung from her neck, each representing a different one of the elements. Blue eyes observed her surroundings and her long blue hair was capable of reaching the ground when let down from its ties.

"It will do, Lady Ivy," the ghost replied.

Though most omyoji found it logical to work with the direct spirits found in nature, Ivy had chosen a human ghost instead. Mya Hitsubushi had been an onmyoji during her life and was willing to become a part of the elements she had once dedicated her own life to for the sake of Ivy. Her devotion, multiple uses, and her personality even made Hao agree that Mya was the perfect choice of a spirit ally for Ivy.

"All right, then, let's get this over with. Integrate!" Ivy commanded. She placed Mya's spirit into the leaf she had caught earlier. It glowed with mana. "Strike." In an instant, a small cut was left on the officiator's arm.

"I do believe that fulfils my qualifications," Ivy informed.

The man nodded. "And here is your reward," he said holding out a small device.

"Thank you," Ivy replied, taking the item from his hands. "Let's go, Mya. There's someone I need to talk to."

"Of course, my Lady," Mya agreed.

She then followed her mistress into the night.


	4. Listening

**Note: Sorry for the amount of time it took for me to you XXBlackfireXX and zillanna for your reviews. Sorry if it takes me a while for the next update, but until enjoy!!^^**

**Disclaimer: Hiroyuki Takei**

**Part 4: Listening**

If you listened hard enough, it was amazing what you could hear. Hao Asakura was all too aware of that fact. Of course, he listened far more than other people were able to.

It was one thing to listen to what people said aloud; listening to their minds was a whole new game. This was simply due to the fact that in their minds, people were truly themselves. No boundaries at all. Material of the most interesting kind lay within.

Reading minds was an ability that Hao had had since his first life. Originally unable to control the thoughts flowing in from the people around him, he had since fine-tuned his ability. With a thousand years worth of practice, digging deep into a person's mind was simple. That was, if said person interested him enough to make him want to do so. A person whose initial thought didn't bore him.

A person like Lon Ivy.

Hao knew that he shouldn't play favorites among his followers, but he couldn't help it. Getting inside her head was an absolute adventure. She was constantly thinking, though the topics varied: Observing people, listening to the elements, reflecting on a past she otherwise refused to talk about, and Hao's personal favorite, trying to figure him out.

Ivy was constantly attempting to see more in Hao; trying to discover how he worked. Not only were the thought processes interesting to hear, they occurred often, a concept tat amused Hao to no end. All in all, Lon Ivy was loyal, powerful, and intelligent, giving her all rights to be considered his favorite.

Hao pulled his thoughts away from Ivy and concentrated on listening to the elements. They instantly informed him that someone was coming.

"Hello, Aviantei," he greeted in anticipation. Sure enough, the Chinese girl was now standing in front of him. Or rather, below him. Hao had taken a position on top of a small wall near their lodgings.

"Hello, Lord Hao."

"Care to take a seat?"

"Of course," she responded.

Hao extended his hand and Ivy took it, accepting the help up onto the wall.

With her sitting beside him, it was hard to resist diving straight into her mind. Though he didn't do it, he still caught a glimpse of the question she wanted to ask.

Even though he knew the question, Hao didn't provide an answer. Even though Ivy was his favorite, she still didn't know about his ability to read minds. This was _his_ game after all. No need to show all your aces yet.

"Lord Hao," Ivy began, "is there a reason you took my elements?"

Hao smiled. _So she did know…_

"Aviantei, I have no idea what you're talking about." He felt the wave of impatience that she gave off.

"You know _exactly _what I'm talking about. My elements packet. You took it."

"I assure you that I have done no such thing. Did something happen?" he asked. More impatience followed.

"My Shaman Fight pre-test."

"And did you pass?"

"Of course."

"Then I see no reason for conflict."

That caused another big wave. Then her mind paused; she was thinking.

Hao let out a slight chuckle. "Go to bed, Aviantei."

"Huh?"

"You've had along day. Besides, tomorrow promises to be… interesting... Get some rest. "

"All right…" Ivy slipped down from the wall. "Good night, Lord Hao," she said with a bow.

"Good night, Aviantei."

After Ivy left, Hao smiled and let out a chuckle. Playing his game was always fun. He remained sitting for a few moments, thinking about how he was going to continue his game tomorrow.

Eventually, he yawned and went to turn in himself.


	5. Another Day

Allow me to first make my apologies for my long period of lack of updates. There are tons of excuses I could make as to why that is, but I'll just go with the fact that I'm really freaking lazy at times. Gomen ne. This chapter is the first of the four updates I'm making today. These four updates are part of large amount I wrote for this fan fiction starting from last Tuesday night and I hope you enjoy them. The reasoning for updating so much at once is that my current net access is limited and I have had one of the best SK brain blasts ever, cause even the chapters I didn't think would be good came out pretty nice. You can also contribute this to both the song styles of The Dave Matthews Band (most of their songs somehow fit at least vaguely into the very story you are reading) and a little SK fan fiction I started to read by the name of "Speculative Fiction: This Never Happened," written by _. Even though I only had the first four chapters to accompany me over Thanksgiving break, it still pushed me to do my best with what I had, no matter how off the idea originally seemed (AKA, chapter 6). I would like to give all my thanks to those that have reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story. As to show my appreciation, I will try to cut down on my rambling time for the remaining updates.

This chapter (along with chapter 6) is mainly an introduction to future events. I don't know if you'll find any significance in the waking portion of this piece, but the dream part at least gives a little insight to Ivy's past, which hopefully makes this a little bit worthwhile. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ivy and her story are mine. The rest of the Shaman King universe belongs to Hiroyuki Takei.

**5. Another Day**

A young girl was picking flowers outside of her house in the wastelands of China when she felt it. Someone was summoning a fire spirit ally. The aura that accompanied the summoning was a familiar one to her, only it was twisted with malice. The girl dropped the flowers she had already collected and began to quickly run towards the house. She had known something like this was bound to happen, but she didn't think it would occur this soon. Only a year had passed since…

Upon reaching the door to the house, she could feel the fire inside, eating up everything and anything it could reach. She threw open the door to a wave of heat. People she cared about were in danger.

And it was all her fault.

"Mother! Father!"

--

Ivy's eyes flashed open as she jolted up in bed. It was part of that dream that hadn't haunted her in such a long time. When had she even had it last? God, she couldn't remember and didn't care to, either. But however much time had passed, it was enough to give her hope that it wouldn't come back, that it was gone for good.

Yeah, like she would ever be so lucky.

Ivy rested her forehead in the palm of her hand, thinking about _why_ the dream had even chosen to reemerge in the first place. Why it had to come back _now. _No, that was easy. Now even had everything to do with it. She was finally an official part of the Shaman Fight, after all, and that put her oh so much closer to finding him, the reason why that dream would haunt her in some way for the rest of her life…

Dismissing the thought, Ivy sighed and stepped out of bed. There were other matters to concern herself with. Important matters that didn't involve wallowing around in dreams that only presented those memories she simply wished to forget. Sometimes, moving forward required acknowledgement of the past and others the complete and utter dismissal of it. This moment was unmistakably the latter.

Ivy got dressed and stretched out her arms to the ceiling, a habit from when she was extremely young. The ritual had been fueled by the checking of whether or not she had grown tall enough to reach the ceiling. Not that she ever had been at that age, but that never stopped her. After all, he had always encouraged her, given her a reason to keep trying…

"No," she sternly scolded herself as her blood slightly ran cold. "Leave it alone. You know that he's gone. Let the past _be._"

With that note to herself, Ivy went over to the bedside table in the room to pick up her elements packet. Lying next to it was the Oracle Pager, her prize from the previous night's battle. She put the leather packet at its rightful place on the belt loosely hanging around her waist and attached the Pager to it. Though it rather did look like an ordinary pager, Ivy already knew about how it was to work from Hao explaining it. Since it would relay the details of the next step in the Shaman Fight to her, Ivy needed to keep the device close at hand.

At that moment, there was a light knock on the door and Ivy blinked. It was still early, especially for her usual standards, and she didn't recall expecting someone to come see her. Than again, the days and things that came with them did seem to be blending together of late…

"Yes?" she called out, making a quick glance to the mirror in the room to see if the looked presentable.

"Oh, Aviantei, you're awake," a voice on the other side of the door responded. "May I come in?" Hao. Of course. Why hadn't she seen it coming? Or more importantly, why hadn't she just asked the elements? Her dream was obviously affecting her logic. No matter, what was done was done.

"Of course," Ivy answered, and the door opened to reveal her master, bright-eyed and alert despite the early hour. Somehow his mood was able to lighten hers, even if it was only just a little bit. However, the dream and the reasons behind it were still poking at her subconscious, no matter how hard she attempted to push them back. They were as stubborn as she was, and that made her uneasy.

"Aviantei, is something bothering you?" Hao concernedly asked, coming closer to the Chinese girl. This caused Ivy to bite the inside of her cheek in thought. She was pretty sure that her expression hardly ever betrayed her emotions, but somehow, he always caught a hold of them.

"Everything's fine," she lied. Not too early, not too late. Even tone of voice. No one should've been able to see through that one.

Ivy wasn't lying because she didn't trust Hao. That was as far from it as you could get. In terms of trust directed towards her master, Ivy's was unconditional. How could you not trust the person who had saved you with the very life they had salvaged? No, Ivy's reason for lying was that she didn't think it was relevant. Hao had to put his efforts into making sure his entire faction was strong enough to advance through the Shaman Fight. Why should he concern himself with the inconsequential parts of her past that brought about nightmares?

Hao slightly frowned, looking at Ivy for a few moments. "Whatever you say, Aviantei," he finally said, his tone of voice reflecting the same slight reluctance of his choice of words.

Somehow he had seen through her perfectly executed lie. Ivy tried to think of any blunders she had made but couldn't find any. So what has Hao picked up on? Whatever it was, it was something obscure, something that no one else in the world could discover. For not the first time since meeting this boy, Ivy felt as though she was missing some crucial piece of information.

"Now then," Hao continued, clapping his hands together, a happier lilt present in his voice. Something about his elated mood infected Ivy's. Her earlier worries were beginning to seem even more ridiculous than they really were. "What do you say that we do something fun today?"

"Fun?" Ivy skeptically questioned. This wasn't the direction she had imagined the conversation going in.

Her skeptic tone was not unnoticed by Hao, but it didn't affect his response in the slightest. "Yes, something interesting in comparison to what we have done of late," he confirmed, still smiling. "As a little 'congratulations' for your entrance to the Shaman Fight."

"Ah," Ivy lightly remarked, feeling even happier than she already had at her master's excitement. If this was a matter concerning her success, the rest of the group was most likely not to be involved. Though she tried to tell herself that the joy she was feeling was contributed to not having to deal with the others, part of her knew very well that it had everything to do with the concept of having Hao to herself for another day, just like in the early days…

As soon as the thought was there, Ivy shoved it away. Why had she even thought such a thing? The idea was just plain out ridiculous.

"So what are we doing, then?" Ivy finally queried, as much as to keep the conversation moving as to not let in on to what she was thinking. No doubt about it, being a teenager plain out sucked. Damn hormones simply got in the way of every little thing.

At any rate, Hao seemed greatly satisfied that his follower was happy with his proposed concept and continued to smile. "It occurred to me last night that you've never been around Tokyo, have you?" he asked in his usual light tones.

Ivy blinked. Come to think of it, he was right. She had been to many places during her seven years with Hao, but Tokyo hadn't been one of them. "No, I haven't," she answered.

Even though it seemed impossible, Hao's smile grew brighter than it already was. "Excellent," he commented. "I was thinking that we could take a day and enjoy the city. Just the two of us." Ivy's heart unwillingly skipped a beat. She mentally cursed herself for it. "How does that sound to you, Aviantei?"

"It sounds perfect."

And that was all it took for Ivy to follow Hao into the city without a care in the world.

--

Later that night, Ivy returned to her room, feeling the best she had in months. Today had seemed so much like those days before, when she would ask questions to her heart's desire. In fact, it was like all the days in between had ever occurred, and today had just been another day. To be honest, she had really needed this day, like she was recharging. But when had been the last time she had felt so… _happy?_

Oh, why was she trying to ruin this day by thinking too much? It would be best to just take a nice, soothing shower and go to bed. Maybe she'd have a pleasant dream, one _much_ better than the last that already seemed long ago.

Ivy went to remove both the Oracle Pager and her elements packet from their places at her side when she heard the small beeping sound. Blinking, she transferred her focus to the text that had appeared on the Pager's screen.

_Attention: Your first fight in the preliminary round…_

Time, location… both were of little interest to her. What she wanted to know was the name of her opponent.

Reading it aloud, Ivy's voice was little more than a whisper.

"Tao Ren…"


	6. Intermission

I said I'd make this rambling shorter and I promise I will. Once again, my apologies for lack of updates and thanks for support. This is the second of my four updates for today and I hope you continue to enjoy, as well as not get a sense of overload concerning my not-so-perfect writing skills. As with the previous chapter, this one has a dream/flashback sequence, though this is what I find to be what makes the chapter. The rest is just the only barely meaningful jumble I added to make this seem like a coherent story. Two other things I wish to say are sorry if the title really doesn't fit what happens and the rules of the Shaman Fight are a pain in the ass to type out. Enjoy

Disclaimer: Ivy, Ander, and their stories are mine. The rest of the Shaman King universe belongs to Hiroyuki Takei

**6. Intermission**

The heat from the flames was ever increasing and the smoke was thickening, but the girl didn't care. If he was here, if it was _really_ him, this wasn't going to end well. His aura was infecting the air even deeper, making breathing impossible for someone without her powers. If only he didn't share those abilities as well.

Her parents were also onmyoji, so none of those things would affect them either. So why was it that she couldn't feel their auras fighting back? Unless they were already…

She flung open the door to her parents' room, the source of all the disturbances in the air and elements residing inside. And then she saw the thing she knew she as going to have to, no matter how much she had hoped she wouldn't: the burnt corpses of her parents, their souls gone, their bodies already becoming ash like the walls around them.

And there he was, his height out of place in the typical imagery that one would usually expect in this scenario. True, he was only a few years older than her, but who could ever imagine one at that age committing such an act? But if you looked into his eyes, you knew it had to be true; the deep brown pools had gained the lifeless sheen of a murderer.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" he scornfully remarked, sarcastic surprise in his voice. "If it isn't little Avi-chan! How have you been?"

The girl dug her nails into her palm. How _dare _he? How _dare_ he come here, how _dare _he treat her in such a manner, and how _dare_ he use that name? He had no right! "What business do you have here?" she sternly asked, her voice sounding much braver than she felt. "If this is some sick, demented offer for me to come back to you again, I'm afraid I'll have to respectfully decline. I swore to myself that I'd never return to that accursed place."

The boy sighed in what was assumed to be an attempt at disappointment. "I expected as much, but where will you go if not back to us? You see what happens to those who harbor traitors, Avi-chan."

So she would never be able to stay in one place, would she? Even if she did stay alone, they would hunt her down and not hesitate to involve innocents in their attempt to recapture her. _That_ had already been proven.

"There's a whole wide world out there, y'know. I'm sure I'll think of something."

The boy stared at her face for a few moments before bursting out into laughter. It was unlike anything the girl had ever heard before: both horribly cruel and amused at the same time. "I'll take that as a challenge, Avi-chan!" he shouted, laughing once again. "I'll find you, I promise that. And we _will _get you back. Now sleep. You'll need your rest if you intend to give me a good game."

A new energy filled the air, one so horribly close to hers, but so much darker. She had known that after she had left he would jump on the new lessons offered to him, but she didn't expect him to have put so much effort into the advanced wood techniques.

The boy walked past her as to exit the home. "I'm going now. I have to report the parameters of our new game. We'll see each other soon. Good night, Avi-chan…"

"Damn you…" she whispered, the pent up tears finally spilling over and out of her now drooping eyes as her strength quickly began to fade away. The last of her efforts were put into screaming, cursing his name.

"_Damn you…! Ander!!!_"

And then she passed out, the image of her parents' corpses replacing the blackness.

--

Hao opened his eyes and stared out the window in the other side of the room he had been staying in. Since Ivy had still been asleep when he had awoken, Hao had seceded to sit against the wall and look in on the girl's dreams. And that was what he had been met with, the most painful memory that Ivy possessed. He had watched that dream before, every night after they had first met and only ever increasingly sparcely over the years as it faded in and out of her acknowledgement.

And that was exactly what had happened the previous night. The memory was back and causing Ivy pain. It even affected Hao as well. It was that boy, Ander. How he could just do that to his… The thought made Hao clench his fist. If Ivy hadn't said she would be the one to kill him, Hao would have gladly hunted him down and done it himself.

Hao blinked and unclenched his fist, making the muscles relax. Again, that feeling, same as the day he had first interacted with Ivy. The reasoning behind it was unknown, even to Hao himself. By what part of the world did he have the right to feel anger at the event when his own actions were so much worse and so much greater in number? He was about to fall into his own memories when Ivy's voice, both vocal and mental, began to speak in a determined and curt manner: "_Attention: Your first fight in the preliminary round…_"

Hao turned to face the wall he had been leaning against that had Ivy's room on the other side of it, a curious expression on his face. Was she just reading about her first match up of the Shaman Fight? He continued to listen.

"…_Opponent: Tao Ren. There are three preliminary rounds. You must defeat two opponents to advance. Two losses or forfeitures mean disqualification and you will be stripped of your Oracle Pager. For a match to be valid, both combatants must have their Over Souls engaged. When a Shaman is unable to engage his or her Over Soul due to injury, mana depletion, or damage to their channeling medium he or she will be ruled unable to fight and will loose the match. Attention: Your first fight in the preliminary round…_"

Hao blinked in surprise, and odd occurrence for him. Ivy wasn't reading it; she had already done that last night. No, she was _reciting_ it, rules and all, word for word. It was impressive, really, for only reading it once.

"…_and you will be stripped of your Oracle Pager. For a match to be valid…_"

"Ah, Aviantei, amusing as always," Hao whispered to the wall, even though the girl on the other side most certainly wouldn't be able to hear him. She was repeating the details of the Shaman Fight to herself over and over again, almost like a mantra, using it to block out her dream. Her mental recitation wasn't as smooth as her verbal one- there were curse words interrupting every now and then as unwanted thoughts wormed their way to the surface- but was still impressive. After all, when Lon Ivy decided to do something, she didn't stop until it was done, no matter how long it took. And in that aspect she and Hao were the same.

Hao considered heading over to the girl's room to discuss her next match, but eventually decided against it. If she was trying to diverge her focus away from the dream, his presence wouldn't be helpful. After all, it hadn't been long after the events of that dream that they had met. Why complicate the matter even further?

"…_due to injury, mana depletion, or damage to their channeling medium…_"

With a moment's further contemplation, Hao decided to go get some breakfast.

--

When Ivy walked into the inn's dining room, Hao looked up at her presence. Well, that was part of it. The other part was that she was muttering under her breath.

"…_must have their Over Souls engaged. When a Shaman…_"

The words were the same as earlier, except they were at a much slower pace. She must have succeeded in pushing away the dream away from the forefront of her mind and no longer needed her words to be quick as to do so.

"Ah, Aviantei, good morning," Hao greeted, smiling at her triumph. Not that she would recognize that as the reasoning. She always thought he was just perpetually happy in the mornings without ever realizing why.

"…_be ruled unable to fight and will loose the match,_" Ivy slowly and softly finalized. She then turned to her master and gave a small bow. "Good morning, Hao-dono."

"Take a seat," the raven-haired boy half-offered, half-ordered, motioning to the spot beside him. "Have you gotten any news pertaining to your first preliminary round?"

"Yes," the Chinese girl responded, sitting down at the table beside Hao. "My opponent's name is Tao Ren."

"So he's Chinese as well. I wonder if his abilities also are those of an onmyoji…"

Hao expected his musing to send Ivy's mind into new action, but that didn't happen. She was too focused on something else. It seemed that her little mantra session had wielded unexpected results for both parties.

"I have no clue as to whether or not I'm strong enough to defeat him, whoever he is, nor do I particularly care to."

There were not many things that made Hao want to laugh out loud, but that statement was most certainly one of them. Not strong enough to defeat him? Ivy had no clue as to just how incredibly powerful she was. One of the things that the Oracle Pager could do was measure the quantification of one's mana. Of course, that knowledge was supposed to be restricted only to the members of the Patch, but Hao had his ways… At any rate, as soon as he had heard the news about Ivy's match, from her own mind, nonetheless, he had taken the liberty of checking both Ren's mana value to see just how outclassed he was and Ivy's to see just how much she had grown in the past months.

Ivy's ignorance was not something Hao had enforced. If he had his way she would know her strength and be proud of it. Flaunt it, even. Ivy was quite aware that mana could be put to numbers; she had just simply chosen not to learn what hers was. Even so, Hao _did_ know, and this Ren boy didn't stand a chance. He resisted the rising urge to smirk.

"So what is it that you're trying to say, Aviantei?" he questioned.

"I have a few weeks until my match. It's been a while since I've had some real training, but since the Shaman Fight has now commenced, I do believe it's time I finally resumed to do so." Ivy looked over to her master. "If you don't mind, I'd like for you to start teaching me again, Hao-dono."

Hao smiled in a strange mix of amusement, excitement, and acceptance. "I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that request," he admitted. "I'm extremely willing to train you even further. But… Aviantei?"

"Yes, Hao-dono?"

"Please have something to eat first. It's a bad idea to train on an empty stomach."


	7. Conflict

There are some things you write that completely and utterly blow away your expectations of them. I won't say that chapter 7 was one of them, cause that would mean it turned out absolutely perfect, but it did come pretty darn close. Seeing as that I have very little experience with writing fight scenes, I knew I would run into some bumps. Okay, I knew I would run into a lot of bumps and was pretty darn surprised when they turned out to be so miniscule. You know, the types of problems in writing that can be solved by lying on the floor and sticking your head under the bed. I'm sure you get those all the time.

In other parts of putting together this chapter that made it much better than what I thought it would be were in the random insights that showed up while I was sitting on my grandmother's couch. Whenever I write a chapter, I think of a very rough outline (I emphasize _very_) and just go from there and hope the gods and goddesses of fan fiction don't bail on me. Things that were not originally intended for this chapter included Opacho (who, seeing this is a manga-based story, will be female in gender, as opposed her male representation in the English dub of the anime), a flashback sequence that was not even in existence before the writing of this chapter and is very vaguely sorta-kinda based off a never really written part of my very first idea for this story (which is so different it's almost like it wasn't the same story! Wait… It wasn't. ^^'), and chocolate (okay, I contribute that one to the fact that I was eating chocolate at the time. But, hey, chocolate is good for the shaman soul.)

For those of you giving a damn, this is my third update out of four. I give my thanks for support and apologies for my ramblings. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ivy, Mya, Ander, some of their kick ass powers , and their stories are mine. The rest of the Shaman King universe belongs to Hiroyuki Takei

**7. Conflict**

Ivy sat on a bench in a park, staring up into the sky. Her two weeks of training were some of the most intensive she had ever had, at her request, of course. She still didn't know if that made her truly strong, enough to defeat Ren, but Hao had assured her that it was. Ivy had no doubt that his statement had come from reading about their mana values, but she still wasn't convinced. With the right strategy, a weaker person was capable of defeating a much stronger opponent.

Sighing, Ivy broke a block of dark chocolate off the bar sitting on her lap and nonchalantly popped it into her mouth. She had bought the sweet en route to location, intending to have it after her match, but had ended up eating it beforehand. Then again, she hadn't taken in any food since breakfast, so maybe it was natural.

The reason for her fasting for the day was simple. A part of Ivy had simply told her just to go that morning, even if it meant sitting around all day. In retrospect, she was glad she had done so. Though spending hours only sitting on a bench in a park would most likely presented an extremely boring and dull scenario to a larger portion of the population, the onmyoji found it inviting. After all, parks were one of the few places commonly accepted in modern society that allowed the elements to be as they were and flow freely. Of course, there was also the strategic advantage she gained. Though for this battle she was equipped with her personal elements, Ivy had allowed for traces of her mana to seep into both the trees and the water of the nearby fountain. Even if she didn't need them for the fight, they would at least experience positive benefits from the extra energy.

This time Ivy inhaled, enjoying the fresh air. Hao had offered to come with her, but she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about the fact that he didn't. Though she personally enjoyed his presence, Ivy knew very well that there were those in the Shaman Fight who wouldn't. It was only the first round, why get politics involved? Besides, Hao's youngest follower, a four-year-old South American girl by the name of Opacho that Hao had found and raised, had her first match today, as well. Seeing as Opacho was much more in need of Hao's presence than Ivy ever would be, the Chinese girl had simply told her master it was quite alright to go with the younger of the two.

Dismissing the issue and adding the final piece of chocolate to her tongue, Ivy looked back into the sky. It was starting to become darker, which meant that it was almost time for her match. She stood up and stretched out her arms before doing some other warm ups. If her opponent decided to blindside her, she at least wanted to be at least somewhat prepared. She decided to listen in on the elements, just in case.

The response she immediately gained from the elements was so overwhelming that Ivy was surprised they hadn't simply seeped into the edges of her mind beforehand. Maybe it was because her mind had been flitting about without a physical care in the world, but that wasn't really important now. She went into a defensive position from the kung fu lessons she had taken as a child and let her mana seep into the elements around her, as to prepare herself even further and to observe the approaching energy.

In base, the mana didn't have the same feel as hers, so Ivy knew he wasn't an onmyoji. And the emotion that tainted it… was malice, along with the unmistakable determination to do whatever it took to win, even if that yielded his opponent's death as the result. However, if she looked deeper, there was a feeling of sadness. Not that it mattered. To her, this was simply an unimportant battle she had to win in order to accomplish her much more pertinent goal.

Following the urging of the elements, Ivy turned to look down the pathway on her right. There he was, riding on a horse, not what she had been expecting. He wore a cape over his shoulders and a smug expression on his face. Ivy judged him to be about the same age as her. He had black hair that reached the base of his neck and a few inches above his head in a point, a technique used to focus one's chi. The golden eyes that were observing her as she was observing him were the familiar ones of a person that had willingly taken another's life. So this was Tao Ren.

"So you're her, huh?" he coldly remarked. "You should feel honored; you get to fall by my hands."

Ivy could have attacked him on the spot. It seemed this boy had a superiority complex. Why it ticked her off so much was a mystery, seeing as Hao possessed one as well. Then again, maybe it had to do with the fact that Hao had never said that he was better than she was, though he most certainly was, but this brat had the gall to suggest such a thing without even knowing the slightest thing about her abilities. She was going to enjoy thoroughly kicking his ass.

"Well, nice to meet you, too," Ivy sarcastically remarked. "However, I'm afraid I'll be unavailable to do any falling. I have every intention to win this match."

Ren let out a boisterous laugh. "Trust me, you don't stand a chance. In fact, you should just forfeit this match right now. Seeing as your opponent is the one who will become Shaman King."

_Hao-dono's going to be Shaman King._

Ivy would have said the thought aloud if it hadn't been at that exact moment her Oracle Pager had beeped. She tilted the device up from her waist and Ren looked at his own on his wrist.

_Shaman Fight Countdown Start._

Ivy let go of the Pager and turn to face her opponent once more. "My reasons aren't as egotistical as yours."

Ren let out another laugh as he dismounted from his horse. "You'll regret your impertinence to the King," he declared, removing his cape to reveal both his Kwan Dao and Chinese garments. Ivy only vaguely felt mismatched in her more casual and Western attire of blue pants and light green t-shirt. The Oracle Pager let out a much longer pitch, starting the match. "You are now my prey!" Ren shouted. "Bason! To your blade!"

Ivy only caught a partial glimpse of the ghost of a Chinese warlord before it was below the blade of the Kwan Dao to create an Over Soul. Then Ren was charging, his weapon quickly coming toward her. Ivy's fighting instincts kicked in and she widened her stance before catching the blade just as was about to strike. She grinned just to rub the fact in the brat's face.

Ren held a temporary expression of shock before retrieving his smug and superior gaze. "Impressive. Nevertheless, stupid. Are you trying to get yourself disqualified? The match has started. Tell me, girl, where's your Over Soul?"

A part of Ivy was strongly urging her to act like a child and insult him in turn, but she dismissed it. Actions always worked better than plain words. The brat would repent his foolishness very shortly. She turned her grin into a smirk before uttering her command.

"_Strike._"

The resulting attack was different from the one that had occurred during her Shaman Fight pretest in two ways. First, there were many more leaves than just one. Secondly, the speed was incomparable to the original. After all, these leaves were her personal set, used as an Over Soul so many times that verbal commands were unnecessary, but they still made a nice effect. Thinking about it, the Elemental Language would have been nicer, but there was no time for that now.

Ren pulled away from his opponent, droplets of blood entering the air from his various wounds. The cuts may have all been shallow, but with the sharp and accurate mana edges of the weapons that caused them, they probably hurt like hell.

"This is my Over Soul," Ivy stated, reaching into the leaves now protectively floating around her. The particular leaf she chose was the one that held Mya's spirit, and the ghost was clearly visible behind her mistress, her once blue eyes and hair now an incredible emerald green. "To answer your earlier question, it's all around you."

"Onmyoji," Ren observed. "Well then, let's see how you fare against this. _Golden Vorpal Dance! Zhong Hua Zhan Wu!_"

The attack's range was broad, causing numerous nearby branches to fall away from their respective trees and the bench Ivy had spent her day on to be reduced to a pile of broken wood and other debris. And that was what made it so satisfying to see Ren's face when she emerged from the dust unscathed.

Ivy's smirk became more pronounced. There were plenty of perks to having been taught by someone like Hao Asakura. The most prominent was the teaching of techniques that you couldn't learn from many others, such as the Shamanic Oracle she had just utilized. Of course, she had mastered that particular technique a long time ago.

Pain then spread through Ivy's left shoulder, the source a wound that most certainly hadn't been there a moment ago. She took the first two fingers of her opposite hand and ran them along the cut, examining the dark red liquid that was now covering them with surprise. She didn't understand what had occurred. By enacting the Shamanic Oracle, you were riding the flow of mana, making the effectiveness Over Soul attacks along with aftershock and other attacks in general essentially useless, unless your opponent was familiar with the technique as well or they severely outclassed you. Seeing as neither of these was likely, this shouldn't have been possible. So how had it happened?

Ivy found reason to smirk again and dramatically threw her right arm out to the side, causing more drops of blood to be present in the landscape. "Feel proud. You're the first person in over eight years to injure me." That was true. She had often sparred with Hao's followers, but not even one of them had yet to harm her successfully, though they most definitely had tried. However, if her opponent had been the one they all served, the results most likely would have been severely different. In Ren's accomplishment, she saw promise.

"I'll make both of our lives simpler. I will win my next match and you'll win your next two. Then you'll train like hell to become stronger. We'll meet again in the next round and have a fair battle."

Ivy let her aura focus on a different technique and watched as Ren slowly began to loose consciousness. She then used her mana to heal both her wound as well as the ones she had given her opponent.

"You fought well… Ren-chan…"

And that triggered a flag in Ivy's mind. It was reasonable for her to have remembered the Tao name; they were a family held in high esteem, back in even her days in China. However, she couldn't pinpoint why the name Ren had sounded familiar as well.

"Dammit," she cursed under her breath, hastily turning to leave the park and completely forgetting her intended objective.

--

"Now play nice, you two."

In later years, knowing that phrase had been uttered in that place would make Ivy want to laugh. Of course, back then it had made her want to laugh, too, but only for different reasons. The fact of the matter was that Lon Ivy did not "play nice," no matter who tried to tell her to do such a ridiculous thing, which had to be very well-known by that point in time, and it didn't appear that the person she was being forced to interact with did, either. That suited her just fine. She hated wishy-washy people. At least they were in a training hall as opposed to some tearoom. This way any necessary contact Ivy would have to have with the boy who had been introduced as Tao Ren would be strictly limited.

She had decided to go through parts of her current elemental training when he spoke up:

"You don't have ghost do you?" Ivy wondered where the stupid question had come from and why it was any of his business but answered it any way.

"No."

"But you're a shaman, right?" She was easily starting to hate this boy already.

"Yes."

"So why don't you have one?" The superiority was showing in his voice over the fact of the ghost of a Chinese warlord that hovered protectively behind him.

Ivy would have liked to show him exactly _why_ she didn't have a ghost. The only type of people she hated more than whiny losers that never stopped complaining were self-righteous morons whose every action was just another way to shout out "I'm better than you!" It wasn't that she couldn't handle it, she had done training with spirits in the beginning, but her natural abilities in commanding the elements and speaking in their tongue had arisen at an early age. After she mastered that portion of becoming an onmyoji, which wasn't far off at her current pace, she would then be presented with her own spirit to continue training. Whether or not Ren realized it, the elements were all over the room and at her disposal: water by condensing moisture in the air, fire by heating it, walls fashioned out of stone, and the supports inside them of steel. Though there were no leaves in the vicinity, a factor she would have to have fixed, it would be so easy to teach the boy a lesson. Instead, the simply insulted him.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a spoiled brat."

That was enough to set Ren over the edge. With an angry yell, he charged and aimed a punch. Smiling, Ivy easily blocked it. Then she smoothly flipped the boy over her shoulder, turned around, and delivered a kick to his midsection that promptly sent him flying into the wall. Ren attempted to lunge again, but was stopped by the restraints around his wrists and ankles that Ivy had created.

"Geese, Avi-chan, you're not supposed to turn sparring into all-out war."

"Oh, Andie, don't tell me you're going to scold me," the subject of the comment remarked in sarcastic fear.

The seven-year-old boy looked down at the freshly five-year-old girl, neither of them knowing that in a month, she would be gone or what would happen after a year when he found her.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me 'Andie'!" Ander shouted.

"I'll stop calling you 'Andie' when you stop calling me 'Avi-chan'!" Ivy argued back. "And besides, Ren-chan deserved it."

"H-hey!" Ren spluttered, color forming on his cheeks. "What the hell do you mean by '-chan'?! You just turned five, right?! That makes me older than you are! Don't you respect _anyone_?!"

Ivy stared at her captive as if it was the stupidest thing she had ever heard. "Of course I do," she stated matter-of-factly.

"_I respect those who are stronger than me._"

--

In order to report her victory to Hao, Ivy returned to the same wall near the inn as she had a few weeks ago. The only difference was that this time Opacho was there, recognizable by her smaller size and tinier, orange version of Hao's cloak she wore.

"Hello, Aviantei," Hao greeted. "Did you win your match?"

"Yes."

"Aviantei-onee-chan!" Opacho excitedly greeted. "Opacho win first match, too!"

When Ivy realized that she couldn't smile, she turned to walk away. However, she only made it a few feet before she remembered there was something she wanted to ask.

"Hao-dono, has Fate always been such a perpetual, cosmic douche?"

"Aviantei?" Hao questioned, seeing as the object of his concern hadn't turned back to ask her question and was now walking away without receiving an answer. He quickly dove into her retreating mind.

_Oh, Aviantei…_

"Hao-dono, is Aviantei-onee-chan going to be okay?" Opacho worriedly asked.

Hao did his best to smile and patted the head of the little girl sitting beside him. "Don't worry, Opacho. All she needs is time"

"Hao-dono?"

"Yes, Opacho?"

"Aviantei-onee-chan's next match will be in two months against a member of the X-Laws."


	8. Pride

If the last chapter had given me difficulties, chapter eight was bound to give me even more. I barely know how to orchestrate a decent fight scene between two people, let alone a person and the giant robot that is an X-Law Over Soul, hence the chance of difficulty. (What I intend to do when I have to coordinate two original characters with mostly original powers and a made up language, as well as an overactive announcer is _extremely_ beyond me.) So I knew chapter eight wasn't going to turn out as well as chapter seven did. I accepted that right from the start.

This chapter is also the only one written on my break that I did entirely during the parameters of my usual sleep pattern. I had lost a bunch of sleep to this fic (chapter seven taking me to six AM the following day, the rest at least crossing the midnight line) and was wondering just what I was going to do my first day back in the demand of classes. Of course, I intended a large amount of that time to be spent ignoring my teachers and crafting the upcoming chapter nine, but I digress. If you'll allow me to quote volume 19 of the manga: "It's not easy when a lot of different things are important to you. To get one thing sometimes you have to let go of another." Sleep is important to me but so is this fan fiction. I had let go of normal sleep (which I hardly ever had in the first place) to make one of the best chapters I had ever came up with. I saw it as a fair trade.

This chapter introduces the X-Laws (if you are following the manga and not up to volume 24 yet, there is some spoiler material. Can't say I didn't warn you.) and allows for some of Ivy's insights to their views. I would like to say that her religious beliefs are similar to mine in the fact that we are both agnostic. Ivy is just simply more critical of the world because of the way she has grown up. When Ivy addresses Marco and questions him, I mean no insult to anyone's religious views. This is simply how the scene played out as I once again sat on my grandmother's couch in otherwise perpetual boredom.

This is update the final of my four. Once again, I give thanks for support and apologies for rants. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ivy, some of her kick ass powers, and her story are mine. The rest of the Shaman King universe belongs to Hiroyuki Takei.

**8. Pride**

"Hao-dono, who are these people?" an eight-year-old Ivy questioned of her master.

"They are the X-Laws," Hao responded.

"As in the Ten Commandments?"

"Clever as always, Aviantei."

"What is their purpose?"

Hao hesitated before answering, which gave Ivy a bad feeling. "Their purpose is to destroy me."

The girl clenched her fist. What gave them the right? There was a momentary silence.

"Hao-dono, why are we here?" Ivy finally asked.

Hao softly chuckled. "We are here to recruit their leader. I have a feeling he will be quite… _useful_ in the future."

--

When Ivy came to think of it, having him on their side had proven to be useful. Unlike her first match where she had practically zero insight on how her opponent would fight, this time she knew exactly what was up her enemy's sleeve. Therefore, her two months were spent alternating between learning new onmyoji techniques from Hao and participating in battle with Luchist. What better way to prepare to fight someone than to go up against their former teacher?

Marco. Ivy would have recognized that name anywhere, though she had personally hoped the next time she would have to see it was on a tombstone. Unfortunately, it had appeared on her Oracle Pager first. She would have _liked_ to be the reasoning behind that particular grave marker, there was no doubt about that. To be honest, it could have been easily arranged within the parameters of this match. However, Hao had said that there were reasons the X-Laws needed to remain an active factor, so that plan had to be tossed out a nearby window.

Speaking of Ivy's master, he was sitting beside her with his usual complacent smile. Hao had absolutely insisted on coming with her to this match, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Ivy almost wished he hadn't. Marco was sure to recognize the boy, and that would just turn the battle into one of morals and loyalty. That appeared to be of little effect to Hao. If anything, it seemed to increase his eagerness even further.

"_I simply want to see how much you've grown, Aviantei,_" he had said. "_It's been so long since I've watched you have a real fight and I won't have another opportunity for quite a while._"

Ivy almost wanted to curse. It was as if he was saying she was guaranteed to win this match and a third wouldn't be necessary. Sure, she was pretty confident about the outcome herself, and that _was_ what she had told Ren, but there was something she didn't fully comprehend. Why was it that Hao held such a belief in his follower that she didn't even possess herself?

As opposed to the use of profanities, Ivy simply inhaled and exhaled. It was no good to become stressed out before the fight even began. That just impaired your sense of battle logic, which was far too risky for a fight as pivotal as this one. No, she needed to relax and find her center; otherwise, the elements would become hard to control. Eyes closed, she listened to their voices, once again allowing both her mana and aura to become part of the surrounding landscape.

She was not exactly sure as to how much time had passed, but Ivy did know the only reason she sensed Marco at all was because he was moving. Unlike with Ren, Marco saw no need to broadcast his strength. In fact, once she tracked it down, his mana was calm and peaceful, almost like he was willing to try to negotiate before things had to turn into fighting. There was no doubt he had yet to notice Hao's presence.

Ivy didn't even have to open her eyes to know what he looked like. After all, that scene from her memory was as clear as the present events to her. Ivy's memory was perfect in remembering events down to the last tiny, insignificant detail. At least, as long as it wasn't something she wanted to forget. She could see him in her mind's eye: the blond hair, the glasses, and the pure white X-Laws uniform. Yet another difference in attire, she realized, seeing as her own garments were all black other than the bright green jacket with sort sleeves she had. Since the last outfit was now cut up and stained with blood, it had been undoubtedly time for change. She finally decided to open her eyes.

Marco was walking towards the place where Ivy and Hao had decided to sit. The X-Law stopped a few feet away, his eyes narrowing at the latter of the two. The girl stood up defensively in from of her master, determined not to give a centimeter, mentally or physically.

"Good luck, Aviantei," Hao cheerfully told her, not affected by the tense atmosphere in the slightest. Ivy simply nodded.

"So you work for Hao," Marco sternly observed, pulling his gun out of the holster at his waist and aiming it. "Then this match shall end the same way for you as this tournament ends for him: _Death._"

He pulled the trigger.

If there was one thing Ivy hoped she never had to explain to a person who couldn't see spirits, it was angels. After all, the imagery one was normally met with among humans at the word was that of strikingly beautiful beings dressed in flowing, white garments with soft, feathery wings sprouting out of their backs and glowing halos floating above their heads. In comparison to the Over Soul that was produced… Well, Ivy could say that it was white. Oh, and it had wings, too. Other than that, there wasn't much else you could apply in terms of similarity of angels to the colossal, charging robot that was Michael the archangel.

There was a reason the terrain for this match was a barren landscape with only the occasional protruding rocky structure on its horizon. An Over Soul that size simply needed room to maneuver. Of course, Ivy gained a certain advantage, too. For what she lost in vegetation, she gained back in earth and mineral deposits that would transfer nicely into metals with just the right coercion.

Not even remotely perturbed by Marco's lack of patience to wait just a few more minutes to start the fight or the massive mechanical mass baring an equally enormous sword towards her, Ivy knelt down and spread her right hand over the surface of the ground. Focusing her efforts there, she condensed every faint trace of mineral and metal she could find together and dragged them to the surface in the form of a large, steel shield. A deafening clang resounded through the area as Michael's blade struck the barrier.

"Hao-dono, may I request that you please relocate your self to a safer location?" Ivy softly asked the boy still calmly located a few feet behind her.

"Of course, Aviantei."

Ivy stood up and dismissed her wall back into the earth, smiling. "Good. Now that that's been taken care of, the fun can really begin. Don't you think so, Marco?"

The man pushed up his glasses, glaring. "Such impertinence," he replied. "It seems you share the same cocky attitude as your master. The punishment of God shall be delivered upon you by the hands of His angels."

Times like this made learning the Shamanic Oracle so worthwhile. The concept of pulling up another shield for every single one of Marco's attacks was an extremely tedious and stupid one. So when Michael charged again, Ivy simply rode the mana waves to stand in front of the one she was truly facing.

"Aren't God and His angels supposed to work in the ways of the divine?" she posed. "According to you, Hao-dono is the embodiment of evil, and, for simply choosing to follow him, so am I. And yet, here I am, after two of your attacks, still standing. Tell me, Marco. Are you sure your angels are even genuine? Can you guarantee that your 'God' truly exists? Will you even consider that that my master and I may not be really as evil as you believe us to be?"

Marco pressed the barrel of his gun to Ivy's chest above her heart. "Enough of your nonsense. This time you die."

The Chinese girl utilized the Shamanic Oracle once more, her path of travel ending behind her opponent. "Not a chance," she stated. "As long as he's still alive I absolutely refuse to do anything so stupid."

"Foolish girl. Your pathetic powers are futile against the X-Laws."

Marco turned to aim his weapon once more, only to have his target catch it with two hands and shove the barrel back to her heart. Ivy had intended for this match to end the same way as the one against Ren, with her putting the enemy into a state of unconsciousness and no real damage done. Marco's words had changed that.

An interesting fact that Ivy had learned from fighting with Luchist was that the medium for an archangel Over Soul was not the gun, but the bullets that it fired. After that, commands were relayed via the shaman's connection to the Over Soul, and the original weapon simply remained without a ghost inhabitant. Which made it far more than fair game to be possessed by someone else.

Ivy and Marco were on opposite sides of a battle much greater than their own simple fight, honor-bound to eventually destroy each other. Some like Marco may have viewed it as a conflict between good and evil, but Ivy simply saw it as a disturbance between two people and nothing more. And then Marco had insulted her pride.

Now she would destroy his.

Ivy had pointed the gun at her heart because it was the source of energy for her, where all her mana stemmed from. Since Marco wasn't an onmyoji, the elements that made up the weapon didn't recognize him as their master, but Ivy wasn't taking any chances. She had pumped up the gun full with her mana and was fully prepared to use the Elemental Language to command it.

"_Sal… Di!_"

And with that, the weapon shattered into an infinite number of pieces.

Since a shaman was only as strong as their mental state, Ivy knew this battle was hers. She switched mediums to her leaves. "Now sleep," she commanded. _You bastard._ Hao chose to appear before the girl at the same time Marco's body landed with a small cloud of dust arising form the point of impact.

"Congratulations, Aviantei. It was a brilliant battle," Hao happily commented.

Ivy looked to her master's smiling face, wishing that just for once she knew what the hell he was thinking. To her, this fight had been won simply because Marco had no clue as to how far reaching her abilities were. Ander did. There was no way she could win like this.

"Hao-dono… I'm going to become stronger."

"Of course, Aviantei."

Ivy finally let herself be proud of her victory, knowing that she was another step closer to her goal. A smile made its way onto her face. She then turned the conversation to a lighter topic.

"So, Ren-chan fights Yoh-dono in five months, right?"


	9. Observance and Introduction

I ended up lucking out in two ways. First off I was home alone Thursday night through Friday morning, leaving me to my own devices as to finish this chapter. In the second way was to due to my being home alone (I will leave out the details of how my current education is scheduled since it's a pain to explain) I would have to spend a greater amount of my time that morning in the local library. With that in mind I just went to work on what I had to do.

This chapter is essentially what Ivy is up to during volumes seven through nine, which isn't extremely relevant, but still contains some interesting points nevertheless. To be specific, material is taken from chapters 64, 78, 79, and 80. If you find my recitations of these particular portions boring, I apologize. I will make up for it with chapter ten, seeing as I'm and have been seriously excited about getting that one out.

In a few extra notes, as my original exposure was to the English release of the SK manga, I will be using those names as opposed to some differences you find with fanslations. Also, in my head it makes sense that since Opacho views Ivy as an older sister (as said by "onee-chan" in chapter seven) she would use "-dono" to refer to Hao like Ivy as opposed to "-sama" like the rest of his followers do. That, and it's my story so what I say goes.

Even more extra notes. I realize that in the previous chapter I made the mistake in concerning Ivy's age when Luchist is recruited. She is, at that point, eleven, not eight. I also apologize if I screw up which member Boz is which. Until my next longwinded rant.

Thanks for the support and apologies for rants. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ivy, Mya, Ander, some of their kick-ass powers, their stories, misinterpretations of original work, and spelling/grammatical errors due to lack of sleep are mine. The rest of the Shaman King universe belongs to Hiroyuki Takei.

**9. Observance and Introduction**

She was fourteen.

Ivy wasn't exactly sure how she hadn't realized it before, but somewhere between qualifying, training, and her battles, it had happened. This struck her as odd, considering that even during all the years traveling she had never once forgotten about her birthday. And now… It had been so long since the thing had occurred that it wouldn't be much longer until it would happen again. And if she was fourteen, so was he.

"Hao-dono, how is it that I missed both of our birthdays?" Ivy questioned of her master.

"Ah, yes, our birthdays," Hao mused. "Other than the fact that we're the only ones in our group that are fully aware of each other's birthdates, I suppose I'll have to take the blame for that one. Both Mya and I agreed that you would want to focus much more on your training than anything else. All apologies, Aviantei."

"It's fine," Ivy stated, pulling her knees closer to her chest. "Happy extremely belated birthday, Hao-dono."

"The same to you, Aviantei."

Ivy didn't look at her at her master, but continued to stare at the building's ceiling. They were in Mimata Hall, just outside of Mate Cemetery. She was slightly annoyed by the large amounts of people already there, but she couldn't blame them. After all, this was the place were the official opening ceremony for the Shaman Fight would take place. The match between Yoh Asakura and Tao Ren.

Hao had taken the privilege of explaining that particular factor a while ago. Yoh was Hao's younger twin brother, and therefore a part of his soul. Though being reborn as a twin hadn't been a part of Hao's original plan, he saw nothing wrong with having his other half run around of his own devices. He would simply wait until the time at which he could reabsorb that part of himself, though how her master intended to do that was a complete mystery to Ivy.

"Hao-dono, I understand why it's so important for Yoh-dono to win… So does that make it wrong for me wanting Ren-chan to beat him?"

Hao simply gave his usual chuckle. This time Ivy turned to face him. "You may want to refrain from calling him '-chan,' Aviantei. He is older than you, after all, and I don't foresee him being pleased by the concept."

The Chinese girl blew a strand of hair out of her face and went to lean against the wall she was next to. "Oh, wah, six months. Something tells me he can live."

"As for your question, there's nothing wrong with wanting something other than what I desire. I've told you before, Aviantei, your will is your own. As long as you stay by my side, what you think won't change the truth."

Ivy redirected her gaze to the large monitor on the other side of the room. Since it was now broadcasting Yoh and Ren's battle, it was probably safe to say that it had been wired into some of the Patch's traditional handicrafts.

Ivy almost laughed. It appeared that Ren had gotten taller. And Yoh… Well, there was no doubt he was Hao's twin. They both shared the same raven black hair, though Yoh kept it shorter than his brother's. The eyes were the same, too, that auburn shade, which made Ivy uncomfortable to see coming from someone else. She decided to focus in the fact that the battle appeared to have come to a standstill.

"They ran out of mana at the same time," Ivy muttered. "Who's gonna call foul?"

"That, Aviantei, depends entirely on Silva."

The Chinese girl watched as the officiant revealed himself to the two combatants before speaking. "_You ran out of mana at exactly the same instant. This match is a draw._"

"No duh," Ivy softly criticized. "Now you have two participants of the Shaman Fight, each with one win, one loss, and one draw and only one opening. Who does _that_ go to?"

"_We'll have to turn to the Great Spirit for this one,_" Silva continued. "_Well, Goldva?_"

The rest of the Native American officiants appeared on the screen, leaded by the head of the tribe. He was the one who spoke. "_The Great Spirit has spoken. They will both go on to the Shaman Fight._"

"Well, it looks like we both got what we wanted, Aviantei," Hao remarked before standing up. "Shall we go?"

Ivy nodded and got up herself, knowing that it wasn't much longer until the fun _really_ began.

--

**One Month Later**

Yokocha U.S. Naval Air Base, that was were they were to meet. It was the prelude to the next part of the Shaman Fight, which would take place in America. The reason they were at this particular location was to take a plane there. And Hao had immediately gone off to see if he could find Yoh. According to him, it seemed like it was about time he introduced himself to his younger brother. Ivy just wished he had at least waited to take her with him. She knew perfectly well that her master was far more than capable than taking care of himself; she just didn't want him going too far.

So Ivy hastily followed behind Hao, not finding him until he was already far into his conversation with Yoh and company. Ivy took a wild guess that her master had said something to anger Ren, which really wasn't that difficult, since the Chinese boy had drawn his weapon.

"You'll never be a king," he stated. "_Because you're going to die right now!!_"

"Dammit," Ivy muttered as Ren charged. Why did that brat have to be so stubborn? She flipped her packet at her waist open and pulled out a small piece of metal. "Let's go, Mya."

"Yes, milady."

_Klink!_ With the Shamanic Oracle Ivy had appeared before Ren and had halted his weapon with her now metal covered hand. The boy stared in shock. Was he stupid? He had tried to attack an unknown enemy without even engaging his Over Soul.

"Come now, Ren-chan, stand down. If you don't, you'll most likely die."

"Ivy…?" In a second Ren regained his usual demeanor. "What the hell do you mean I'll most likely die?!"

"Amateurs," Hao remarked from his perch on the Spirit of Fire's hand. "Still a hothead, eh, Ren? I thought you found some answers when you went home." If Ivy's appearance had surprised Ren, then this was worse. "Or… are you just upset because your friend got hit?"

"_You creep!_"

"How do I know all this? It's easy. A king must know everything."

Ivy shoved the Kwan Dao away and disengaged her Over Soul. "To answer your initial question, Ren-chan," she said, "if you keep this up either the Spirit of Fire will simply decide that it's tired of dealing with you, I'll step in to protect my master…"

"Your…" Ren started.

"…or one of them will do the same." Ivy was referencing the rest of Hao's followers that had appeared on the scene. She sighed. "Hao-dono, haven't you had enough fun for now? We'd better get back or we'll miss the plane to the battleground."

"Right," Hao agreed. Then he turned to face his brother. "Yoh. I came here because I liked what I saw in your last match. You'll make a fine servant for me, just like these others. Do your best to survive so you can serve the future king."

--

Ten hours on a plane was bearable. Ten hours on plane in what was supposed to be a twelve-hour flight that would soon end by falling thousands of feet to the ground sitting in the middle of Hao's followers wasn't as much. Ivy sighed and leaned back in the plane seat next to her master. At least this was going to be over soon, even if it wasn't going to be in a way the majority of the plane's passengers would expect.

"It's been ten hours since we left Japan…" Ryou laughed. "They're all so carefree, eh, Hao-sama?"

"They have no idea that the Shaman Fight has already begun," his brother, Zen added. Together, the two made up Boz, a monk rock musical duo. The comment made Hao smile.

"It's not their fault," Yamada defended.

"Only the officiants and we know that," Luchist continued.

"But wasn't the 'Shaman Fight in Tokyo' supposed to be in _Tokyo_?" Mattie queried.

"Don't nitpick," Marie scolded.

"The Shaman Fight will determine who the King of the Earth shall be," Canna stated. "The whole world's our battleground."

"Tokyo was just the starting point," Turbine said.

"They had to get us all on one plane, after all," Tecolote explained.

"Still, this is a mean trick the Patch are pulling," Boris commented.

"They wouldn't be so calm if they knew what was about to happen," Blocken remarked.

"You mean if they knew some of them were about to die?"

Xang Ching's words made Hao's smile grow. "Maybe being carefree is good," the boy casually said, but it would require nerves of steel right now."

"That's for sure, Hao-sama!" And the group burst into uproars of laughter.

"We're almost there, Hao-dono," Opacho spoke up, finally making Ivy listen. In all honesty, the little girl's voice was the only one she wanted to hear at the moment. "Goldva will make the announcement in three seconds."

With a _blip_, the Great Chieftain's face appeared on the many monitors along the jumbo jet. "_Your attention please. Thank you for flying with us today._"

The passengers' voices slowly spoke as their owners woke up.

"Huh?"

"We there already?"

"_We are currently forty-thousand feet above North America. We are approximately seven-hundred and fifty miles from the Patch Village._"

"We've still got a long way to go?"

"Why did they wake us up?"

"_We would like all of you… to make your way to the Patch Village on your own from this point._" All the voices became silent as the words sunk in. "_Only those who arrive in three months will be accepted. There are no clues. If you cannot get there in time, you will be eliminated._"

Voices quickly rose again:

"What's going on?!"

"They tricked us?!"

"_Bear in mind that the Shaman Fight is an opportunity to display the strength of your spirit. And now the first test begins. Your mission is to reach the Patch Village within three months. Now gather your belongings. As soon as this transmission ends… The Patch Jumbo Jet Over Soul of the officiants will dematerialize._"

And with a resounding _pop_, the plane disappeared, leaving its passengers to fall, screaming into the air.

Hao wasted no time in summoning his Over Soul, and soon he, along with the rest of his followers, was riding on the large spiritual entity more commonly known as the Spirit of Fire. Now standing, Ivy looked into the groups of people. Some of them had come prepared, but others hadn't. People were going to die, just as Xang Ching had said. Oh, well, they weren't her responsibility. All that mattered was that she saw how Ren fared. After all, what was the point off all the motivation she had handed him if he didn't survive? Of course, if he couldn't survive this, than it probably wasn't even worth it in the first place…

"Amateurs."

Hao's comment brought Ivy back into reality. She focused he attention in the direction her master was facing. She could see a blue-haired boy who she knew to be named Horohoro attempting to use his snowboard-based Over Soul to prevent the upcoming crash.

"He doesn't have nearly enough mana to sustain that," Hao continued. "We're still thirty-thousand feet up. Your mana will give out and you'll slam into the ground."

"_What?!_" Horohoro angrily shouted. "_You jerk!!_"

Hao continued to have his amused expression nevertheless. "Ren's Over Soul can fly, but not that far… You guys are in your biggest pickle ever. Want a ride?"

"_Never! Everyone else is in the same boat we are!!_"

Ivy sighed. She barely knew this boy and yet he was already annoying her. There was no real reason to get irritated by this, though. She might as well use this time to give some final motivation. With no real interest in the continuing conversation or apprehension at the concept, Ivy leapt off Hao's Over Soul.

"Ren-chan!" Using the elements to manipulate the speed of her fall was simple. The boy she was now addressing blinked as Ivy came to be in front of him. "You better survive this. Otherwise I won't forgive you."

From above, Hao's voice continued to speak to the others. "Well, if you won't accept my help, what can I do? I'll look forward to finding out how you survived this at the Patch Village. Are you coming, Aviantei?"

"Sorry, Hao-dono!" Ivy apologized before focusing her energy to have the elements give her a boost. She let out a small laugh before returning to her position on the Spirit of Fire.

"You'd better think of something quick," Hao advised Yoh's group. "Look! The ground's coming up fast!"

"Good luck, Ren-chan!" Ivy happily called, waving. Turning away, she chose to look up into the stars. If she had chosen not to go with Hao, would she have survived this? Yes, it was only a simple matter of manipulating the elements. So Ander would survive. Ivy exhaled and sat down. No point in getting worked up over him now. There were at least three months before all that would come to pass.


	10. Emotion

I wrote part of this chapter back in sometime between May and June. At least, that's where I narrowed it down to. I vaguely remember writing a large amount of fanfic stuff during my free time with exams, but I also remember discussing some of the scenes in this chapter with my friends at the beginning of July. Reasonable, no?

This chapter goes along with parts of volumes 12 and 13, specifically chapters 105-111. In chapters 105 and 106, Hao encounters Anna. For those of you who know what I'm talking about, obviously Ivy was going to have an opinion on that. There's also a part in chapters 109 and 110 where Hao and his group arrive in the Patch Village. I figured I might as well add Ivy's reaction on the Great Spirit. And then there's what happens after that…

This focuses mainly on the emotions Ivy experiences, hence the title. It goes a little into Hao's, too, but we'll have more on that, later.

It makes sense to me that after being around for who knows _how_ many thousands of years; at least _some_ of the buildings on the edges of the Patch Village would be a little dilapidated by now. Ah, the universe bending powers if being an author…

I left Ivy's "This is wrong" line out of my main hand written draft. That would have left a question in what the hell Hao was talking about… Anyway.

And yes, I realize exactly the connotations of what Hao was trying to do. No, he's not just doing this to be an ass. He seriously has a reason. We'll get more into that later, too.

I also was skimming through my earlier chapters and I realized that I used "part #" before the title, as opposed to just "#." like I'm doing now. I corrected that in this chapter and it will be like that from now on. Since I have the intention of going back and fixing up earlier chapters (whenever the hell that is…), I'll fix it then.

Longest chapter yet! Whoo! Thanks for support and apologies for rants. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ivy, Mya, their stories, some of their kick ass powers, spelling/grammatical errors, misinterpretations/manipulations of plot points, and increasingly long disclaimers are mine. The rest of the Shaman King universe belongs to Hiroyuki Takei.

**Part 10: Emotion**

It had taken nearly a month, but they were there. Or, rather, almost there. They had come to Mesa Verdede, which was essentially the gateway to the Patch Village. At least, it was for the lucky ones. Ivy looked over the ruins, rather impressed by the view. Of course, she knew the real view was deep underground.

"Hao-dono, why did we send the others on ahead of us?" the girl asked, sitting on one of the many rocks in the area. In reality, they had been here a few days. It made no sense that when they finally ventured down, they would go separately. Opacho sat beside her, smiling up at their master with no particular hint of worry.

"The others are greeting Yoh," Hao explained. "They have been instructed to kill his friends. It will be a good experience for him."

"But, Hao-dono-!" Ivy began to protest. If Yoh's friends were killed, then that meant…

"Don't worry, Aviantei," Hao continued with no worry concerning her outburst. "I've already taken your little game into consideration. Yoh needs powerful allies for support. If they're strong enough to do that, this will prove positive for them as well." He then gave an assuring smile to his two followers. "There's also someone who I want to meet. After that, we'll continue on to the Patch Village."

Ivy wished there was something she could lean back against. Since there wasn't, she tilted her head back and looked into the clouds. There was no point in questioning Hao about this person or his reasons for meeting them. After all, she would find out on her own, and if not, there was plenty of time to ask later.

Ivy blinked as a helicopter crossed her field of vision. She followed the piece of machinery as it begun to descend. Apparently, it was going to land in the area. Hao turned his attention to the helicopter as well.

"Ah, it appears that it's time. Come along, Opacho, Aviantei."

"Yes, Hao-dono!" Opacho excitedly said hopping of the rock, not once falling behind him Ivy was much slower in her reaction. It took her a moment, but she did stand up and follow along, cracking her neck.

"Oh, Aviantei," Hao added, "the person we are dealing with tends to pay significant attention to the abilities of others. There are very few who realize how far the reaches of your powers are and I wish to keep it that way. With those things in mind, I would like to request that you keep a low profile during this conversation."

"Yes," Ivy softly agreed. Though the words suggested that something could happen, she decided there was no real reason for concern. And even if there was, Hao was far more than capable of taking care of himself.

What occurred was a conversation between Hao and a girl with light brown hair and a red bandana acting as a scarf who was named Anna. From what Ivy could gather from the words exchanged, this girl was Yoh's fiancée. Accompanying her were a small boy and a pink-haired girl who Ivy would later come to recognize as Manta Oyamada and Tamao Tamamura respectively.

The topic mainly discussed was the Ultra Senji Ryakketsu, a book that Hao had written in his original life containing information of many powerful shamanic techniques. This particular volume was now in Anna's possession with every intention to make Yoh stronger. Hao seemed to be perfectly fine with the concept.

Whether it was because he just sometimes said things that spurred on such actions or she simply had a bad temper (In later years, Ivy would recognize that both of these were at fault, but it was mostly the latter), Anna found reason to attempt to slap Hao. The onmyoji easily blocked the assault and then pushed his failed attacker against one of the nearby rocks. Ivy could take the action; it was the words that set her off.

"Now I like you even more. As I expected, you're the perfect wife for the Shaman King."

That statement made Ivy want to protest and to protest _loudly_. Though none of it showed on her face, inside emotion was building, far more than typical anger. It was complete and utterly irrational jealousy.

"Not so fast… _I still have a left hand!!!_" And with her declaration, Anna brought that particular appendage to strike Hao straight across the face. Ivy was so caught up in her ridiculous mental state that she didn't realize what had occurred until Opacho frantically called out.

"_Hao-dono!!!_"

Anna made a few final comments before heading off in the direction Hao had told her Yoh and the others were. Regaining her own senses, Ivy wasted no time in following Opacho to their master.

"Hao-dono, are you alright?" the older of the two girls concernedly asked.

Despite the fresh red mark on his right cheek, Hao was still smiling. "Very nice," he happily commented. "Courage _and_ fast hands. No one's slapped me like that since my mother." The boy then turned his attention in the direction Anna's small group had headed. "Ah, it seems we've lost both Yamada and Boris. Also, Bill appears to be severely injured. You'll have to fix him up when we arrive, Aviantei." Despite the seriousness of his words, neither Hao's smile nor cheerful tone of voice wavered.

--

The way was one with multiple paths, but if the call sent out to your soul was the right one, you would be able to make it to the Patch Village. Being part of a group led by a person who had spent a previous reincarnation as a Patch tribesman was also helpful. In any event, Ivy arrived along with Hao and his followers in their intended location.

The Patch Village. Of course, it was more than just that. It was the Celestial Holy Ground. And that was where the Great Spirit, the combination and wellspring of all souls that exist and the ultimate prize of the victor of the Shaman Fight, would appear for three months once every five-hundred years.

Upon seeing the Great Spirit for the first time, the majority of people would become unconscious to experience the history of the earth, some never to awake. Ivy herself only experienced one of those things, and that was the flood of the earth's memories pouring into her brain. Afterwards, she was still standing next to Hao, who was also gazing into the massive grouping of ghosts. This was one of the few things that would leave Ivy staring in awe and there was only one thing she could make herself say:

"I see why you want it so badly, Hao-dono."

--

As Hao had requested, Ivy had healed Bill's wounds attained from confronting the X-Laws. However, even her abilities couldn't cure the sleep induced by the Great Spirit that the rest of the group was now affected by.

Hao decided to take the opportunity to show Ivy the room she would be staying in. It was a small one, and that suited the girl perfectly fine. There was a bed next to the room's lone window, which showed an interesting combination of the partially modernized village in the distance and some of the buildings on the outskirts that had simply fallen apart over the years.

"Does it bother you, Aviantei?" Hao asked from the doorway, causing Ivy to turn and face him. It was a strange comment to be made about a room, but the girl new better than that.

"Does what bother me?" she asked, feigning ignorance. This was only something Hao was doing for entertainment.

"What I told her; does it bother you?" her master patiently restated before walking closer to her.

Ivy lightly frowned, even though the end distance was a perfectly reasonable one. She decided to use the bruise that could just barely be seen as her point of reference. "What bothers me, Hao-dono," she calmly spoke, "is that you were harmed, even if it was only a little." That was the truth, or at least part of it. His words were still bothering her, but if Ivy said so, he was bound to ask why. And she wasn't ready to answer that yet.

"If it bother you so much," Hao said, his hands covering his follower's left, "then you're free to fix it." He raised her hand up to his cheek where he had been struck earlier. Ivy's frown deepened, but she still called upon the leaves. It didn't take long and was pretty much pointless, but she healed the small mark before slowly lowering her hand. There was a silence.

"Tell me, Aviantei," Hao requested. "If it bothered you when it happened, why didn't you do something about it?"

Ivy blinked. That also most seemed as if he was discussing his own words as opposed to what Anna had done. No matter. The answer was essentially the same. "You seemed as if you had the situation under control. Besides, you told me to keep a low profile, Hao-dono. I intend to follow orders," she dutifully answered.

Hao let out a soft chuckle and brought his own hand to Ivy's cheek. "You may experience distress, embarrassment, sadness, or annoyance, but you never show it. I won't ask why it is you act this way, but I am particularly curious as to what it would take to make you flustered." He softly traced his thumb across the girl's lips, bringing a light, embarrassed flush to cross her cheeks. "I wonder…"

It took Ivy a few moments to realize the boy had gently gripped her by the upper arms, and by then it was far too late. She had blinked in response, and when her eyes opened, she was lying on the small bed, painfully aware of Hao's presence above her. The same amount of distance as when standing, only now it seemed much smaller.

Ivy felt the boy's breath as it escaped and returned to his mouth. This fact made her realize that she wasn't breathing herself, and she quickly inhaled and exhaled. The scent she received was one that no cologne could imitate and perhaps one only she was fully meant to appreciate-the smell of burning wood. Still shocked, she continued air flowing, even if her only motivation was to keep taking in his scent.

Above her, Hao's expression was an extremely pleased version of his usual amused smile. "Lovely, just as I thought…" he murmured.

"Hao-dono?" Ivy quietly questioned before realizing the words were referring to the furious blush now covering her face. Of course, that fact simply made the color intensify.

"Tell me, Aviantei, does it bother you?" Hao asked once more. As if he couldn't already tell.

It took Ivy a short amount of time to find her voice, but when she did the same formal tone as earlier was used. "Of course it bothers me," she honestly answered. _You bother me._

"Oh?" Hao remarked, almost responding more to her thoughts than her actual words. It had just to be Ivy's imagination, though. No such thing was possible, not even for an onmyoji that had lived a thousand years…

"Yes. I don't have to remind you that you are my lord and master. This is wrong."

"_A lot of things are wrong. That doesn't stop people from doing them._"

Ivy immediately recognized those words as a definitive truth that would be in place for eternity. It didn't stop the people she had seen over the years, it hadn't stopped Ander from killing her parents, and it most certainly wasn't stopping Hao Asakura now.

"Is that your only concern? Well then, Aviantei…" He let out a soft chuckle. "Entertain me." The words were whispered, leaving Ivy once again breathless and completely vulnerable to his next move. Wasting no time, Hao expertly brought his lips to hers.

At first, Ivy was merely stunned. However, she was easily brought back to reality by her rapidly beating heart. Even if protesting seemed pointless, she knew that she couldn't let this be happening because of a game. Their lips parted for a moment as Hao took in air, and Ivy tried to shift away. His hand came up to become entangled in the back of her hair and pressed her back towards him.

This time was different. He ran his tongue across her lips, enticing them to open.

Ivy's willpower hit zero.

She closed her eyes and did as he wanted.

By the time Ivy reopened her eyes, it was over and Hao was standing above her with an almost unnoticeable frown crossing his features.

"Good, but not quite where I want you to be," he commented, though lightening his demeanor before speaking again. "Although, I must say, you never cease to amaze me, Aviantei. You look upon the Great Spirit and revel in it, but when it comes to things like this, you can't handle them."

_Of course I couldn't handle it. That was my…_

"Ah, yes, that's right!" Hao lightly exclaimed, once again seeming to be working off her thoughts. "Unless something has happened over the past few years that I was unaware of, that was your first kiss. I'm sorry that I was the one to take that from you, but actions always work best in 'what if' situations. I think I've almost figured this part of you out. Until tomorrow, Aviantei."

It wasn't until he was gone from the room that Ivy realized she wasn't able to move and when she finally willed herself to, the only thing she _could _do was touch her lips.

--

The concept of it being her second day in the Patch Village didn't interest Ivy in the slightest. Even during training, she was practically useless. Both were contributed to the fact that, if she thought about, she could still feel Hao's lips on hers. And that there was more coming.

Why in the world was she caught on something so completely ridiculous? To Hao, this was simply a game. And the emotion he had given off… The best way Ivy could think to describe it was a strange combination in pride at what he was capable of causing and plain-out lust.

But that didn't stop her from feeling excited to have Hao come back and kiss her again. It wasn't even close. After all, emotion was an extremely powerful thing, capable of easily destroying the barriers Ivy had thought she'd be able to maintain. They were left in pieces.

"I see it's still affecting you, Aviantei," Hao muttered from his position over the girl, "yet not as much as yesterday. What is it that's really bothering you?"

Ivy breathed for a moment, both to collect her thoughts and to take in the smell she was already so used to. "Simply the fact that you're doing this," she answered.

"The fact but not the reason…"

"Of course. I already know the reason." Ivy didn't have to force the calm; for whatever reason, it was coming naturally. She quickly continued before she lost it. "The instant you said 'I'm curious,' I knew that this was just a game of yours. Even so, you get enjoyment out of it, so what happens to me is irrelevant. If it makes you happy, how can it bother me?"

There was a silence before the musical chuckle escaped into the air. "That's a good question." How he pulled it off was a mystery, but the fact remained that Hao now had Ivy's wrists secured above her head. "Tell me, Aviantei, are you willing to test that?"

"H… Hao-dono?" The realization and color on her face both came soon after the question. "Hao-dono, please! What could you possibly gain from this?!"

Simply by moving closer, Hao was able to cut off Ivy's protests. "Now, now, Aviantei, you're contradicting yourself. As for what I gain from this, you answered that: It's a game, nothing more."

Yes, Ivy knew that. So why did it hurt? And why couldn't she fully bring herself to believe it? His voice and eyes were plenty hard enough.

"You can tell it's becoming autumn." The musing caught Ivy off guard and she made herself refocus. Hao was now gazing out the window. "Even in places like this where vegetation is limited, there's still a slight chill to the air. Sometimes it becomes difficult to remain warm, but the best way to do so is to stay close to someone else." He then shifted his auburn gaze back down to the girl below him. "I'm rather pleased with this location. It's nice and secluded, which is good; I'm not exactly sure how far this will go."

"Wait!" Ivy tried again, but stopped as Hao rested his forehead on hers.

"Shh… Just go with it, Aviantei."

Biting the inside of her cheek, Ivy weighed her options. Nothing was going to get her out of this one. Words were useless, but… _What if…_

_Actions always work best in "what if" situations._

Maybe Fate decided that it was going to like her today, or it could have been something completely different. In any event, Ivy was able to free her right hand and entwine her fingers in Hao's raven black hair. This apparently surprised him, which made it all the easier to apply the pressure needed to bring their lips together one more time.

Then it was done. Realization hit and Ivy dropped her hand down as dark color flooded her face. Hao released his former grip on hand and sat up on the edge of the bed. His amused smile was in place and he lightly chuckled.

"That was quite a risk you took, Aviantei," he remarked.

Ivy didn't say anything. She just needed him to _go_. Being alone was the only way she'd be able to think straight and get her thoughts in order. Hao's presence wouldn't help in the slightest.

Still seeming to be working off Ivy's thoughts, her master stood up without looking at her. "It's getting late and you probably want to rest. I'll leave you for now." He walked over to the doorway, only to stop and look back when he arrived. "Aviantei, feel free to not come to training tomorrow. In fact, it would be a good day for you to explore the Patch Village. Good night."

Then he was gone. What discomforted Ivy the most was the fact of the first thought on her mind was how empty the air smelled without him.

"Mya, why do you think he does these things to me?" Though Ivy hadn't been very productive for most of the day, she had at least done some training with fire. The result was her partner's eyes and hair were now a bright red color.

Mya heavily sighed as she appeared beside her mistress. "I am unsure, Ivy-dono, but I do not believe he does them simply of his own volition."

Ivy rested her forearm over her eyes and let out a weak laugh. "I suppose you're right. Do you remember when he told us that powerful mana awakens powerful mana?"

The ghost blinked in confusion. "Yes. That is the reason your mana level has increased so much since over the years since you met Hao-dono."

A small smile crossed Ivy's lips. "Do you suppose the same holds true for emotion?"

"Possibly. Why do you ask, milady?"

"Because," Ivy whispered, taking the pillow out from under her head and pulling it close to her chest, "during the last, I felt something different… Something… _warm_…"

--

The Great Spirit was something Hao normally liked to look at, but he ignored it as he walked further into the ruins surrounding the Patch Village. He also normally enjoyed the crisp air that accompanied late October, but it was pushed away by the extreme want of a scent that was one part sharp leaves, one part sweet flowers: Ivy's scent.

Hao was both amused and concerned at her need to be away from him, but he really couldn't blame her. After all, he needed to escape, too, before his own walls crumbled even further. Returning that last kiss would have been fatal if it weren't for Ivy's embarrassment. Hao could remember thinking when he found her that she could see right through him if he was lying and now it was certain. If it hadn't been for her clouded judgment… those walls wouldn't have stood a chance.

Oh, why was this girl so _stubborn_? If she would just say it, these things wouldn't be necessary. That was why he had even done all this in the first place, to give her an opportunity.

Hao sighed and sat down on a nearby part of a fallen building. True, his plan hadn't worked out, but it was an interesting development. Besides, he _had_ lived for a thousand years to obtain one of his goals.

He could wait a while for this, too.

"Aviantei…" he softly whispered.

"_Do you realize exactly what it is you've done to me?_"


	11. Inanity

Figures that I work my ass off to finish a chapter on time and I don't even get a chance to post it cause of the weather. Anyway, enough of my grumbling…

This chapter fits in between (here's my pickiness) panels 21 and 22 of chapter 112. (Sorry, but it's true. XD) It also takes scenes and dialogue from Lyserg's flashback in volume ten, chapter 87.

Yes, Lyserg appears. No, no fighting. I'm not up to another fight scene just yet. Saving my energy mainly for chapter 15.

I recently realized that Ivy is the OC of mine that probably cusses the least, both in frequency and choice of words. Compare that to Stella who sometimes doesn't know the meaning of censorship, or Kama when she's pissed and been hanging around with Mizu. (I realize this may just be viewed as gibberish to you. Some of it will make sense over time… Maybe.)

One of the reasons I made Hao and Ivy meet when they were six was so she could be a part of the upcoming flashback sequences. Good thing Lysie's a year younger than the rest of the group or this wouldn't work… Well, it would have with my original plan for Ivy's character. Never mind.

In case you didn't know, "inanity" is a word that can mean "stupidity," but can also tie into "ridiculous." I kinda feel like my titles are going to the _Death Note_ level…

Yes, Ivy is six and can speak Chinese, English, and Japanese. She was raised on the first two. We'll get into why she knows Japanese later. Or, at least, that's the plan… (ASD)

In a comment someone left, they said they wanted to know more about Mya. This made me realize that, other than some of the basics that could be kept from the original concept of this story, I really had no clue about her past and such, let alone how Ivy met her. I've started thinking about her more, and I'll try to get it in this story, but it's not really the main concern to be tacked on. Still, I promise I'll try. So, if you're curious/confused about something, speak up so I can figure out if it actually has significance, or if it was just something my brain spewed out cause it felt right.

I forgot to say anything about the previous chapter being number ten, so here's my celebratory "whoo!"

Thanks for support and apologies for rants. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ivy, her story, some of her kick ass powers, spelling/grammatical errors, and misinterpretations/manipulations of plot points are mine. The rest of the Shaman King universe belongs to Hiroyuki Takei.

**Part Eleven: Inanity**

By the time Ivy woke up the next morning, the sun was already much higher than it should have been. She should have woken up a while ago, if only out of habit. And even if she had slept in, Hao surely would have come to wake her up. Oh well, her master probably had his reasons. He was always enigmatic at best.

Ivy sat up in bed. If she got ready quickly enough, it would be possible still get in a decent amount of training before-

_Aviantei, feel free not to come to training tomorrow._

Hao's voice came back to her, along with the events of the previous day, both in poignant clarity. Why was she so stupid? She had flat out let her emotions get the better of her. It had all been a ridiculous game, _that_ particular point had already been proven. And she was just as ridiculous for going along with it. All that was getting accomplished was making her life so much harder. The only reason she had gone with Hao in the first place… No, there had been two reasons. He had called her "Aviantei." He could make her strong enough to kill Ander.

Ivy punched the mattress beside her. If she was going to be strong enough to defeat him at all, she needed to be stable mentally. And that didn't require being distracted by your own master. She needed a day to re-find herself and get back in tune with the elements. Training could wait for that.

_In fact, it would be a good day for you to explore the Patch Village._

Yes, that was what she would do. She'd take the day and spend it like some overexcited tourist. Maybe then Ivy would be able to clear her head. And if that didn't work, she'd stare into the Great Spirit, no matter how long it took, even if it was days.

_You look into the Great Spirit and revel in it, but when it comes to things like this-_

Ivy punched the mattress again, this time to stop remembering Hao's words. Enough was _enough_, already. She forced herself out of bed and hastily began to get dressed, fiercely determined to clear away all the troubles she was plagued with.

"_Baka,_" she muttered.

--

Ivy sat on one of the more dilapidated buildings among those at the outskirts of the Patch Village, staring into the Great Spirit. She had spent a few hours in the Patch Village before the fact that it was essentially a tourist trap had gotten to her. So, she had retreated out here to stare at the swirling mass of souls. The effects of taking it in for a couple of hours were soothing.

Hao was right. What type of sane person looked into the core of all spiritual entities without being affected, but fell apart at something as trivial as a kiss? For all Ivy knew there was something wrong with her. It was plain out ridiculous.

Maybe if that hadn't been her first kiss… No, that wouldn't have mattered. The concept of Hao kissing her at any point in time would be enough to send her into the same state of embarrassment. How had she even kept that sliver of calm yesterday? It seemed impossible. What ticked Ivy off further was that no one individual would ever affect her the way Hao Asakura could. Even if it was only a game.

"Dammit!" she complained, leaning back on the palms of her hands and staring into the upper reaches of the Great Spirit.

"Oh, hello there," a voice greeted, causing the girl to jump. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, um, yes," Ivy stammered, flustered by the sudden appearance of the person addressing her. "You just startled me." She looked over the boy who was now standing beside the seat she had taken. He appeared to be around her age, if not younger, with hair that was a seemingly impossible shade if light green. There was a smile on his face that lit up his grey-green eyes.

"Are you sure?" he continued to query. "You seemed pretty frustrated to me, which is why I came over. May I sit down?" Ivy was so taken aback by the suddenness of the question, she simply nodded without thinking. The boy enthusiastically complied. By the way, my name is Lyserg Diethel. It's nice to meet you."

Ivy blinked. If this boy's surname really was Diethel, then she had seen him before. It was a memory buried by eight years of passing time, but the details were still there, as clear as the day they had first occurred.

--

"Mother… Father…"

They were much quieter and in English as opposed to Chinese, but the words were still the same as hers had been. And that almost made her want to scream. She had patiently watched as Hao had killed the young couple without so much as batting an eye. It had been a painful reminder of her own parents' death, but Ivy understood the logic behind the action. If the couple refused to assist him, why let them live as opposition? But the appearance of the boy had almost broken her.

_They had a child?_

"Who… who are you?" the boy quietly asked. Then he raised his voice. "_What have you done to my parents?!_"

"Fools," Hao flatly stated. "They died because they wouldn't promise to help me in the Shaman Fight eight years from now." He then went to exit the home. "Incredible… Everywhere I go, amateurs."

"_Wait!_" the boy shouted, grabbing onto the collar of Hao's then star-adorned cloak as the latter passed. "_Stop! Don't you ignore me!_"

Hao turned back to the boy, giving him one of the most bone chilling glares Ivy had ever seen. "Such amateurs," he finalized before summoning the Spirit of Fire to set the house ablaze.

--

"Lyserg…" Ivy muttered. "My name is Lon Ivy. It's a pleasure."

"Ivy-chan, huh? That's a nice name," Lyserg complimented. "So, how come you came all the way out here?"

Ivy tried to pull herself out of the past and focus on the present conversation. Why had she come out here, again? "Oh, I just needed to clear my mind," she answered. "I've had a lot to think about lately." That was a very vague but true statement. Probably one of the few ones she could say in a situation like this.

"So have I," the British boy said, redirecting his gaze. Ivy did the same. "They say all souls eventually return to the Great Spirit. I was just wondering if my parents were in there somewhere."

Ivy felt sick at herself. How could she tell this boy that she had known personally for only a few minutes that she had been there to watch his parents die, their souls eaten by the Spirit of Fire for strength?

"So you've lost your parents, too?" That one sentence required the most effort Ivy ever had to put into keeping her voice steady. It was just one mistake after the other with her of late, wasn't it? First getting caught up in Hao's games, then talking to this boy. Man, she was just plain-out _stupid_…

"You mean…" Lyserg didn't have to be as picky about what emotions he displayed. However, he was quick at recovering from his shows. "So we've both lost."

"Yes," Ivy confirmed, not allowing herself to say anymore.

"That's why I'm here," Lyserg continued. "Because _he_ is."

_Oh, please, _please_ don't say his name…_

"Hao." The word was filled with venom. "He's the one who killed them. I have to defeat him. That's why I decided to join the X-Laws."

"The X-Laws, huh?" That meant Lyserg was going to become her enemy. Come to think of it, they were far enough from the village. If she wanted to, it would be a simple matter for Ivy to overpower and kill him, use the elements to dispose of his body, and take the souls of both him and his spirit ally back to Hao to be consumed by the Spirit of Fire. It was a favorable situation: one less enemy, more power for Hao, and Ivy not having to sit through this conversation that was only making her mental situation more muddled than it already was.

"So you've heard of them, then?" Lyserg seemed more enthusiastic then Ivy had seen him so far. "I talked to them the other day and I've seen their Over Souls in action. They said they have enough power to surpass Hao."

_What a ridiculous concept. They can't even beat me, let alone Hao-dono._

"Hey, do you have a team yet?" Lyserg questioned, making Ivy remember that the next stage of the Shaman Fight was a team tournament. Since all of Hao's followers had already been partnered up with each other, she would have to search for some teammates on her own. "If not, you can come with me. You suffered in the past, I'm sure the X-Laws would be glad to have you."

Yeah, glad to have her if she was in a body bag. Ivy could already see Marco gladly shoving his gun in her face the instant she was in range. Then again, it might be a little fun to go along with this. Go ahead, break a few guns. Maybe even eliminate the X-Laws before they became an issue. No, too risky, Hao still needed them around. Even if he didn't, it wasn't her place to deal with them anyway.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Ivy said, turning back to Lyserg. "I've heard of the X-Laws before. Their purpose is to defeat Hao, correct?" She paused to let the boy nod before continuing. "I understand that this Hao killed your parents, but I personally have nothing against him. I also have no intentions to involve myself in the politics of this competition. I'm only here for the same reasons you are, and I know very well that we do not share the same cause for loss."

"Oh," Lyserg quietly responded, his tone disappointed.

"Don't get me wrong," Ivy corrected herself, realizing what he must be thinking. "I'm not saying that I wish to become your enemy. In fact, I'd much rather we become friends." Ivy becoming friends with an X-Law. Hell, Lyserg becoming friends with one of Hao's followers. What a concept. "Do you accept that offer, Lyserg Diethel?"

The green haired youth was temporarily silent. Ivy could just see his brain in motion. She patiently waited.

"Yes," Lyserg finally agreed, holding out his hand for Ivy to shake. She blinked, then complied before standing up.

"Thank you." A small bow accompanied the words. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta go. Bye."

"Ah, goodbye." Lyserg's response appeared to be on reflex. "Um, I hope we see each other again, soon."

"Same here." _Hopefully on pleasant terms._

And Ivy left Lyserg on the ruins, knowing that those terms would be extremely scarce.

--

After Hao had left the then burning home of the Diethels, Ivy had stayed behind. Hao hadn't told her to come, and the flames wouldn't harm her, so why not? Besides, she wanted to make sure the boy was safe. If his parents couldn't look after him, then she would. Even if it only was for a moment.

Ivy watched as the boy cried his eyes out over his parents, just like she would have done of not for Ander rendering her unconscious. He wasn't moving either, though Ivy couldn't blame him. Even if she had been awake, she still would have laid there, hoping for death. Though it would have been difficult for her to die amongst the flames, she doubted the same held true for this boy.

Maybe he just didn't realize the danger he was in. It was logical to assume that all he was seeing were his parents' corpses; even unconsciousness couldn't save Ivy from that one. She wished it was possible to go and talk some sense into him, but a good excuse as to why she was there wouldn't come. No, all she could do was wait for help to arrive and heal him if he showed any complications due to the smoke now filling the room.

After what seemed like an eternity, a siren was audible. That sound seemed to bring the boy back to reality, and he slowly stood up and worked his way to the front door, pushing it open and promptly collapsing. Ivy sighed in relief, sent a leaf filled with her mana to clear the smoke in his lungs, then went to exit out the back into the night where she would find her master.

--

Now reentering her temporary room, Ivy exhaled. For some reason, meeting Lyserg was exactly what she had needed. Her mind was clear again, with her goal back in perfect focus. First, she would avenge her parents. And after that, she would protect Hao no matter what the consequence. Not particularly caring about the hour, Ivy dropped herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"_Baka._"


End file.
